Getting The Dirt On MLS Transfer Rumors

Okay, so most of you know by now that I get pretty annoyed with some rumor sites out there that fail to check facts and get their information straight before the post a rumor. I kinda wanted to take this morning and debunk (is that even a word?!) some of those rumors that I’ve seen out there. Some have some factual based effort in them, others I really question.

Now I know they are rumors and I know what rumors are. So please spare me the comments and emails about what rumors are because I know. I just wanted to look at some rumors and kinda put them through some detox before people go crazy over them.

I will start today with one that totally made me laugh last night when I first saw it. Joseph Ngwenya’s signing with Austrian side SK Karnten.

I know Ngwenya went on trail in Europe last month but come on a transfer to a club that is in the Austria? No way. Further more its to a club that is in danger of getting related to lower division!

Seriously, I know the club’s website put a little report (if you want to translate that feel free) out about the possibilites but there is no way he would risk his career with a move like that.

But it is the MLS and weird things do happen. The Houston front office isn’t saying anything about a potential move. Like I said back in November, the Orange need to lock this kid up to get their money’s worth when he does transfer somewhere.

Still I don’t see him moving to this club. For his career it just doesn’t make a bit of sense.

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Now there is a little talk about Kenny Cooper wanting out of Dallas. I can tell you this, living here in the Big D I have heard nothing about this. But Glenn Davis down in Houston somehow has. Guess I was busy at work and didn’t get the memo.

Still a lot of people here in Dallas remain hush on this one. With the potential move of Carlos Ruiz (yes that deal is still in the works, wait until next weekend and you will see), I cannot see Dallas moving Cooper anywhere, even more so to their main rival Houston.

It would be a big time loss for Dallas unless they are in the market for a world class striker to replace BOTH Cooper and Ruiz, which wouldn’t surprise me at this point with that club.

The reason why Houston could be a target for Cooper, they will need a striker if Ngwenya leaves and potentially to replace Brian Ching in a couple years.

For now it is just a rumor though and probably nothing more. I think getting Ruiz out of Dallas will help Cooper out a bit, those two never really played all that well together anyways.

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AZ Alkmaar winger Kiki Musampa could be headed to the US. The former Ajax, Atlético Madrid, Bordeaux and Malaga winger is considering options in either Russia or in MLS. With Dutchman Ruud Gullit in charge of the LA Galaxy it would make sense that he’d try to lure some Dutch players over.

This rumor is fairly new to me though, I landed on it last night and think it has some potential to happen, though I can’t say I know much about Kiki. I know he has bounced around from a few clubs over the years but I don’t know if he’d be a good fit in the Galaxy line-up.

He would be a free transfer right now, which is always attractive for any clubs but I don’t know if he would be “sexy enough” for Gullit’s system and style of play.

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The last one for the morning is Colombian defender Gonzalo Martinez possibly joining DC United this season, I believe this one has been mentioned on here before but just to talk it over again never hurts. Martinez told Colombian radio that he plans to arrive in Washington on Jan. 20 and talk with DC United about a deal.

United GM Dave Kasper and Martinez’s agent both are quite about the deal but my feelings are that something is going down. DC has been way to quite this year about their moves and I can tell they are about to announce a couple players with Martinez being one of them.

Martinez, 32, has played for Colombia’s national team at Copa America and in World Cup qualifiers. His club career has taken him to Udinese, Napoli and Reggina in Italy; Olimpia and Libertad in Paraguay; and, most recently, to Millonarios in Colombia.

From what I have been told, it is a free transfer. He would start in the central defense to replace Bobby Boswell, who was traded last month to Houston. Sounds like a decent enough deal to me for DC.